Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India focuses on border talks with NSA Ajit Doval, amidst efforts to rebuild relations after the Galwan Valley clashes and rising India-US tensions.
The 71st National Awards were presented at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
Stalwarts of Indian sports paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday, describing him as a visionary, who had quiet strength and humility.
The contrast with the old Income-Tax Act is stark. The 1961 law ran into 512,000 words; the 2025 one pares that down to 259,000. Chapters have been cut from 47 to 23, while sections have reduced from 819 to 536. One of the clearest changes is terminological. The confusing twin concepts of 'assessment year' and 'previous year' have been scrapped.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said economic reforms are on course and his government "will take some bold steps in future".
GST Reform 2.0, which trims tax slabs from four to two, signals a push for demand-led growth, and together with recent income tax cuts, sets the stage for sustained economic growth, experts said. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on September 3 approved an overhaul of the indirect tax regime by taxing essentials at 5 per cent and other goods at 18 per cent. A new 40 per cent tax will be applicable on luxury and sin items.
Brave statements such as we will continue to be the fastest growing large country are of no consolation, because the direction of trade also determines the flow of investment, points out M Govinda Rao.
In trade negotiations, as in chess, sometimes you need to accept a temporary disadvantage to secure a better long-term position, points out Sonal Varma, chief economist (India and Asia ex-Japan) at Nomura.
Gems of wisdom from Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed into the ages on December 26, 2024.
The International Monetary Fund has said it broadly supports the series of economic reforms undertaken by India, which is moving in the right direction.
'Surgical strikes or air strikes, or both, are likely on the table.'
Dr Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, had to literally face a trial-by-fire to ensure widespread acceptance of his path-breaking Union Budget of 1991 that saw the nation rise from its darkest financial crises.
The government has invited applications for the post of chief economic adviser (CEA) to replace K V Subramanian, who will complete his three-year tenure next month. Subramanian was appointed as CEA on December 7, 2018, while he assumed charge on December 24 in the same year. As per the public notice dated October 24, 2021 issued by Department of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, officer of central, state governments, RBI and public sector banks holding analogous post on regular basis in parent cadres or department are eligible to apply for the post.
If the concerns over risking political capital are overcome, the long-term gains for the Indian economy will be immense, asserts A K Bhattacharya.
The Economic Survey on Thursday prescribed reforms in the subsidy regime in oil, food and fertiliser sectors and asked the government to review the possibility of direct cash transfer to the targeted people.
'BSE has facilitated nearly Rs 35 trillion in capital raising across multiple segments.'
Addressing a gathering at Varsha, the official residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai, Deora said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have a vision for developing the country.
A leader of reserve and quiet dignity, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had a keen taste for Urdu verses, and his poetic banters with Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj in the Lok Sabha are among the most viewed parliamentary debates on social media.
India's monetary policy continues to remain hawkish as RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan fights a lone battle to get the economy back on track while the government 'fails to walk the talk.
'They mean business, but business as usual is unacceptable to them'
China is set to build a rail link connecting Xinjiang province with Tibet, part of which will run near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India.
Jaitley is scheduled to present his first full Budget on February 28.
Under his leadership, India launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change, passed the landmark Forest Rights Act to protect the rights of tribal communities and established the National Green Tribunal to safeguard the environment through swift legal action.
'If the BJP detoxifies the nuclear liability law, it will bring economic, environmental and, most of all, strategic benefits.' 'Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that this Budget promise is met soon -- ideally, before Mr Modi heads to his first meeting with Trump 2.0,' observes Shekhar Gupta.
'I am not an aspiration-oriented politician.' 'This is the time to redefine politics.' 'Politics of power is not real politics.'
India will need to grow at an average 7.8 per cent to become a high-income country by 2047, a World Bank report said on Friday. To achieve this goal India would require reforms in financial sector as well as in land and labour market, the World Bank said in its India Country Memorandum titled 'Becoming a High-Income Economy in a generation'.
'Why has Maharashtra slipped up over the past couple of decades?' 'Not only is this question critical for residents of the state, but given that it accounts for 14% of India's GDP, a faster-growing Maharashtra implies a faster-growing India as well, point out Shishir Gupta and Rishita Sachdeva.
The next government in these states may find it tough to push economic growth through long-term reforms, which would be necessary.
With reservations expressed by the Left parties weighing heavily on his mind, Prime MinistercManmohan Singh told the US Congress on Tuesday
India on Thursday unleashed a second wave of reforms deciding to open the pension sector to foreign investment and raising the foreign direct investment cap in insurance to 49 per cent, undeterred by opposition to its decisions on FDI in retail and threats to block these legislations.
Kant, a retired 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Kerala cadre, was appointed as India's G20 Sherpa in July 2022, months before India assumed the G20 Presidency.
By naming a sworn swayamsevak for vice president, the Modi-Shah duo have sent out a clear and positive message to Nagpur, where the RSS headquarters is located, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
T Nanda Kumar, former food and agriculture secretary, shared his memories of working with former prime minister Manmohan Singh during some of India's most challenging times, highlighting Singh's compassionate leadership and commitment to ensuring food security for all Indians. Kumar recalled Singh's steadfast support during the 2008 global food crisis, where he championed a ban on non-basmati rice exports to secure domestic supplies. Singh's leadership, characterized by intellect and humility, left a lasting impression on Kumar, who considered him a mentor and guiding light.
'Agri reforms need to go beyond the limited concerns of these three laws in improving agriculture productivity in cereal and crop diversification and production patterns.'
Foreign investors continue to exhibit confidence in the country's equity market, injecting Rs 19,860 crore in May driven by favourable global economic indicators and strong domestic fundamentals. This positive momentum follows a net investment of Rs 4,223 crore in April, data with the depositories showed.
'Citing an example of the pressure students face, she mentioned that one student shared how friends in college would say, "Don't come back without that multi-crore job," as they said their goodbyes.' 'But you have to understand that this is the end of the beginning, and it's not even the beginning of the end.'
Sharma is Head of Emerging Markets and Chief Global Strategist at Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
